Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Spice

Arriving home this weekend, I found that Tara had, once again, rearranged the cabinets in the kitchen. There is always a good reason, economy of space, boredom etc., but can be mildly frustrating when you go to get a cup and end up taking on a quest through multiple locales. Why is it always the last one you check?

Seeking understanding, or maybe insight into my wife's thought process, one of the boys asked why she had moved everything around. She replied, in language they can understand, "The spice and the tea had to be separated, because the spice was being stinky."

I found this elementary explanation humorous, but it got me to thinking about relationships. As our proximity or intimacy with another increases, it affects us in many ways, like the flavor of the tea was being changed by it's proximity to the spice. Our personality can begin to take on characteristics of the other. Even the way we talk or think. Like some science fiction mind control, if we are not careful, this can happen without any conscious effort on our parts, until someone points it out to us.

Our relationships add spice to our life, but how do you make sure they don't spoil the soup (or tea, in this case)?